Energy saving and safety have become the most important issues for the auto-making industry. Weight reduction is most effective way to achieve this goal, which leads to the fast development and application of high strength steels for the automotive industry.
The well-known SAE 8620, 8625, and 8630 carburized steels are commonly used for manufacturing car components which require increased surface hardness and high contact fatigue, including shafts, camshafts, gears, fasteners, chain pins, spindles, cams, worm pairs, etc. High strength low alloy serious steel HSLA 60-100 commonly used for manufacturing wide range of car components wherein moderate strength and good weldability are required.
Several wrought high strength alloy steels potentially can be implemented in the automotive industry. High strength of more than 280 ksi and yield strength of more than 220 ksi in the quenched and tempered condition make them as the potential candidates for automotive structural and safety components.
High strength low alloy steel of the present invention is a new generation of high strength composition for the auto-making industry. Tensile strength of 110 ksi to 130 ksi and 210 ksi to 340 ksi, elongation of 20% to 30% and 7% to 12%, and Charpy impact toughness energy of 30 ft-lb to 40 ft-lb and 10 ft-lb to 20 ft-lb in the annealed and hardened conditions make the high strength low alloy steel of the present invention attractive for the automotive structural, safety, power-train, and suspension components.